


Jay's Night Off

by pennysparrow



Category: Batgirl (Comics), Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, that's a lot of people tagged but a lot are only mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 06:28:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9059548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennysparrow/pseuds/pennysparrow
Summary: A friend of mine asked for Jason sneaking off from patrol one night and Stephanie following him to figure out what he’s hiding only for the two to end up bonding as a Christmas present and that's pretty much what happens.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Told from Jason's first person pov. This is also my own canon where Lian never died but Roy still joined the Outlaws with Jason and Kori and the two helped raise her, like the rest of the Titans.

It was the biggest snowfall in Gotham history which meant that even her criminal element was staying in, not even Mr. Freeze was daring to venture out of his Arkham cell. That meant that my night was filled with helping people out of trapped cars, patching broken windows to keep the cold out, and once even helping a woman in labor and her husband get to the hospital. A while ago I’d agreed to be a member of Barbara’s Delphi Network or whatever it was in return I got to hear the drama on the comms without Bruce or Dickhead or anyone else knowing. This meant that I knew all my siblings and whoever else was currently playing hero in Gotham was dealing with the same things.

Checking the time on the screen in my helmet I figured I could call it a night, I did have plans after all. I decided to head to the safe house that I was using for time being but was interrupted before I could grapple to the next building. There stood none other than three of Gotham’s most famous vigilante’s, Nightwing, Batgirl, and Robin. I paused and instantly became cornered as the Replacement and Cass moved in from behind me. Crossing my arms I gave Dickiebird my best bat-glare, even though it was wasted under the helmet but I wasn’t going to give them the benefit of taking it off.

“Jay! We just want to talk. Five minutes of your time. Please?”

“Oh really? An ambush is what you call ‘just wanting to talk’?” I shot back.

“Please Jason? Just hear them out,” Barbie said over the comms.

“Seriously O? I thought we had a deal?!”

I could practically hear the eye roll in her reply, “Yeah well, sometimes the good of the all comes before the good of the one.”

I focused back in on the heroes in front of me and could see Nightwing gearing up on his patented puppy dog eyes, even with the domino mask on. If Dick was really going to go through the trouble then I might as well humor him, I had a bit of time anyway. “Look Jaybird, B is off world and we’ve got the Manor all to ourselves. Alfred was starting to bake cookies before we left and we were all going to head back early, what with all this snow, and have hot chocolate and watch movies. It’d mean a lot to us if you came with?”

I paused, that was a very, very tempting offer. But I couldn’t fully believe Dick, sure he could mean what he says but the others couldn’t want me. I must have been telegraphing my thoughts because I heard Cass from behind me, “Please Jason?”

My resolve wavered but one glance at the clock in my helmet and I knew I couldn’t agree. “It’s a wonderful offer, really, but I’ve got plans. Maybe- Maybe some other time.” And with that I ducked around some of the world’s finest and made a break for my safe house. I heard yells of protest from behind me and a tell-tale “-tt-” from Damian but I just ignored them, if I didn’t I was going to be late and I couldn’t do that. Yeah, I know it sounds cliché but I really did have better things to do.

So I slipped through the window I had left cracked for myself and pulled off the body armor in exchange for civies, though I pulled my leather jacket back on over top as well as a thick set of gloves and a hat Alfred had knitted me for Christmas last year. I headed out of my apartment on the seventh floor and out into the street where I trudged through the heaps of snow. Gotham was beautiful covered in a sparkling blanket of white, though it was cold as hell if you believe Dante which, speaking as an ex-dead man, I’m inclined to. I knew better than to expect to find a taxi and if the city were smart they’d have sent the subway operators home already so there was no point trying that route either, so walking through the waist high snow was the only option. Though I was going to be even later than I already was, I could only hope they’d understand.

About three blocks in I finally noticed I was being tailed, and before you say anything I would’ve noticed sooner except I was a little preoccupied with quite literally not freezing my butt off. I glanced up to the gargoyle perched on the corner of the building, slightly in front and to my right and about 150 feet up. I flicked on the comm I always wore to her private channel as I stared up, “I know you’re there Steph.”

The shadows moved slightly and I heard her shocked response, “Wha- what are you talking about?”

I chuckled, “You make a good Batgirl but a lousy gargoyle.”

She puffed air out in a frustrated sigh, “Well you try lurking up here with three feet or so of snow.”

“So why don’t you just walk with me rather than sneak around. It’s not like there’s anyone out to see you with me.”

“Wait there, I’ll be right down.” I stood leaning against the corner of the building, attempting to ward off shivering. Quickly enough she showed up, black suit with purple down the side, a yellow belt around her waist and thigh, blonde hair streaming in wild tangles from her cowl, and what looked like a fur-lined cape. “Little cold to be out for an evening stroll, isn’t it?”

“I could say the same about you, what with that get up.” I raised my eyebrows and very obviously looked her up and down. 

She rolled her blue eyes at me and held her cape out. “I’ve got my artic gear on. You and I both know that Alfred makes sure we’re toasty warm,” she practically sing-songed. I couldn’t help but laugh, Steph could just have that type of effect on you. I inclined my head and we continued slowly making our way down the sidewalk. After a little while it seemed as though she finally plucked up the courage to say, “So… What exactly are we walking to that is so much better than family time and Alfred cookies?”

I snorted, “You’ve met my family? You’ve spent ‘quality time’ with them so you know that it will inevitably break down into a fight and someone is going to leave in tears and someone else is going to leave bleeding. Although I honestly regret turning the offer down.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well me, Damian, and Timbo all in the same room always spells disast-”

“No, no, no,” she interrupted. “I mean, do you really regret not coming along?”

“Well, yeah. I would’ve said yes but I made a promise.”

She stopped walking for a second and just stared at me. “Wait. Really?”

I nodded and she flopped through the snow to try to catch up. “Shouldn’t you be heading there yourself?”

She shrugged once she managed to fall in step with me, “Well yeah. But I thought I’d try and change your mind. Us dead Robins need to stick together and there was no way Damian would be able to convince you.”

Once again I couldn’t help but to laugh at Steph, “Remind me again why we don’t hang out more often?”

“Because I’m the failure and you’re the rebel yet we both want to get rid of our reputations so we avoid each other in hopes that we won’t be negatively affected. Also, I’m pretty sure we could accidently give Bruce a heart attack and while amusing that certainly wouldn’t be good for anyone.” She told me brightly. 

I snorted so hard I nearly chocked, “Well now we really do need to hangout more.” She cackled in reply and we managed another block in silence. I was the one to finally break it as I asked her, “So are you really going to come with me? You don’t have to.”

She shrugged her purple clad shoulders, “Nah, I wanna. I’m curious to see what kind of plans the mysterious Jason Todd has that would be so much better than a potential fist fight with your brothers.”

I smirked at her, no wonder the others all liked her so much with that sunny disposition and smart mouth. I turned it over in my mind, do I trust her or blow her off before I get there. Doubling around to lose her in this blizzard would not only be hard as hell but I’d be even later and I really couldn’t do that. I sighed, “I promised a friend that I’d babysit. Well a few of us are doing it in shifts but if you want to come with I know it’ll be ok.”

Steph gave me a big fake gasp as her eyes widened and she clutched at her chest, pausing in the snow that was nearly up to her chest. “You have friends?!” She cried into the wintery air.

I rolled my eyes at her but sarcastically replied, “I know right?! It’s really more of a recent thing. Do you have a change of cape or something?”

“I thought you said Batgirl tagging along would be ok?”

“Well yeah, I just thought you might be more comfortable in a sunny suburb of Star City when you’re not wearing your artic gear.”

“Star City? Are you zetaing there?”

“Yup. You probably have a cache of clothes at the zeta tube station, don’t you? You can change at the house then. But we’ve really gotta get a move on. I don’t want to worry Donna.”

Steph fell back again and this time actually fell silent. I turned around and felt concern cloud my features. I could see her furrowed brow even through the cowl. She blinked as she said, “Wait. Donna, Star City, babysitting… You don’t happen to be babysitting Lian Harper?”

“Uh… Yes? You coming or not?”

“Uh, sure. Yeah. But, what are you doing babysitting Lian?”

We finally made it to Wayne Tower to get us to the Bunker and the zeta tube. Steph easily typed the code in to allow us access and skipped into the elevator before me, still giving me that same quizzical look. I raised an eyebrow at her, “He’s my friend? And like Bruce is off world with the League and cause it’s League business his usual go-tos of Oliver and Dinah are off world too. He asked me cause he knew Dick would be holding down the fort here. Mia, Connor, Kori, and Donna are helping out too.”

Steph blinked at me as we rode down, “That’s… really thoughtful of you Jason.”

I smiled at her, “She’s a good kid. Wants to be a hero just like her dad when she grows up. She’ll be so excited to meet Batgirl. She’s met a lot of other heroes but she’d always wanted to meet you. I’ll be the best Uncle Jay in the whole wide world! Might even beat out Dickiebird as the favorite this year.”

Steph laughed, “Her own godfather? You really think so?”

I smiled back at her as she grabbed a backpack from a locker and headed over to where I stood next to the zeta tube. “Well Stephie, I say we give it the good ole college try! How about you?” She gave me a wicked grin before jumping into the zeta.


End file.
